In court documents, Tawanna termed her 8 1/2 year long marriage as “irretrievably broken.” In the petition filed Tuesday, she asked for temporary and permanent custody of their five children as well as child support and alimony. No specific dollar amount is listed. She also asks for an equitable division of marital assets and that Allen Iverson pay all atorney fees.

The five children range in ages from 17 months to 15 years, including 4-year-old Messiah, who has been ill, leading to Iverson's departure from the team at various points over the last month. The children are currently in the care and custody of Tawanna in Atlanta.

A hearing was set for 30 days.

A lawyer for Tawanna did not return a message from the Daily News.

The family has lived in north Atlanta since August, but also has homes outside Detroit, two in Colorado and one in Villanova. The Daily News reported in December that Iverson's six bedroom, seven bathroom house in Villanova had been on the market since July 2007. The house was first listed at $6.3 million, but the asking price has since been slashed to $3.25 million.

The high school sweethearts from Virginia married in August 2001 in a celebrity-filled wedding at the Mansion in Voorhees.

In 2002, Iverson was alleged to have thrown Tawanna out of their Gladwyne home naked, and later was accused of threatening two men with a gun while looking for her. All charges against him were later dropped.

A spokesman for the Sixers said no coaches or players would comment on Iverson's personal situation.